Berwick let South Croydon Bulldogs slip out of the lead

By Marcus Uhe

A fourth-quarter brace from a young Berwick side saw them concede their best chance to sing the song for the first time on Saturday afternoon in the Eastern Football League.

Berwick led by six points midway through the third term but conceded eight of the last ten goals of the contest to stay 23 points ahead of South Croydon, 7.8 50 to 10.13 73 at Cheong Park.

A first half where just three goals were scored – two for the home side and one for the visitors – gave way to more free-flowing football in the second, with both sides in the bottom half of the table looking for victory.

While Berwick look for a win to break their duck and fight to stay in the top flight, South Croydon are hoping to maintain their place in the top six and qualify for a place in the final.

Sam Hilton-Joyce finished off a quick ball move from defensive half from Deng Andrew and Lachlan Hollis to cut the halftime deficit from 14 points to eight early in the third, but the Bulldogs responded immediately to- and restore the buffer.

A seven-point run saw Sam Woodward cut the lead to seven and another soon after from Majok Puok saw the Wickets level the scores on the back of repeated innings and forward pressure.

A third on the bounce, again from Woodward, put Wickers ahead by six as the prospect of a remarkable victory began to materialise.

South Croydon hit back with the next two, restoring their six-point lead, before a dumping tackle by a Berwick defender saw tensions flare.

A free kick was awarded against Wickers in the defensive 50 and it sparked a response from South Croydon, unhappy with the treatment their player received.

As the players gathered to challenge the facts, Deng Andrew was booked for a high tackle and sent to the bench, before South Croydon converted the resulting free kick to go 12 points ahead in the minute 2. 3.

The Wickers thought Elijah Roewer had responded late in the period, but his running shot on goal from close range was ruled to have hit the bar.

12 points was the margin at the start of the final term and with each passing minute the significance of the opening goal of the quarter increased.

It was Roewer who stood first, making amends for his third-term blunder by converting a set-piece, earning himself a free kick after being held up.

South Croydon were clawing their way back into the contest but could not convert the chances they were creating and as a result kept Berwick in contention.

Noah Cannon prevented a certain goal with a desperate diving choke in a back-to-the-goal battle with Bulldogs forward Thomas Taylor, and the tension grew with each Bulldog miss.

Woodward had a chance to level the scores in the 18th minute after Wickers took the ball the length of the pitch in a flash, but his long-range shot hugged the near-side and narrowly missed the wrong side of the post. .

Hilton-Joyce was brought down with his eye on goal and the Bulldogs went into protection mode, moving the ball slowly and taking time off the clock.

Slow play down the length of the pitch presented a shot at goal, but Ashton Williamson came out of nowhere to make a solid tackle that spread trouble in his back half.

His defensive handball caused problems for his side and a turnover by Tom Brennan at the resulting stoppage allowed Jayden Cass to sneak in goal-side to push the lead to 11.

The Bulldogs then scored from the ensuing center bounce, adding two goals to Berwick’s tally in the blink of an eye in the 22nd minute.

Two more at the end of the quarter provided the confirmation as the leader fell short.

While not the outcome Wickers wanted, there were plenty of positives to the performance.

Andrew’s interception marking at half-back was outstanding and his absence was felt after his yellow card, while 73 points was the lowest they had conceded in eight rounds.

Woodward finished with three goals on his return to the senior ranks to lead the Wickers in attack, with veterans Brennan, Jesse Cirulis and Jordan Roberts among Berwick’s best.

Berwick welcome Norwood to Edwin Flack Reserve in what looks on paper as their best chance of securing four points so far in 2024.

Norwood sit ninth, one place ahead of 10th-placed Berwick, with just one win to their season.